Modern aircraft are provided with detector systems for observing the terrain over which they are flying and/or for detecting enemy aircraft seeking to destroy them.
For example, American patent U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,603 describes a missile recognition system in which the observed field of view is scanned by rotating said missile about its roll axis. Such a system cannot be implemented in a missile which is roll-stabilized.
In contrast, American patent U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,446 relates to a system for detecting enemy aircraft for use on a roll-stabilized missile. In this prior system, rings of detectors are provided around the periphery of said missile. In order to enable them to cover the entire field of view around the roll axis of the missile, each ring includes a plurality of detectors. Such detector multiplicity gives rise to high system cost and to complex handling of the data provided by said detectors.
An object of the present invention is to remedy these drawbacks. The present invention relates to a detector system including a limited number of detectors and which is particularly, but not exclusively, suitable for use in a missile flying at high altitude to protect it from other missiles seeking to destroy it, e.g. ground-to-air or air-to-air missiles.